Thoughts on friends.

I've been thinking about friends lately. Friends in general, not specific individuals.

I'm a lucky guy. I have lots of friends. Lots. They fall into a couple of different categories. A limited few fall into the realm of "I need to borrow $50,000 dollars for a year" and there'd be no worry between us. Of course, those kinds of friends never ask for $50K, nor do I.

The largest majority of people I can call friends are, oddly enough, motorcyclists. No, I'm not talking about the extreme Harley crowd or the "Wild Hogs" midlife crisis set. I'm talking about mature professionals with a lifelong passion for two wheels. Most of these people have progressed from smaller dirtbikes as kids to other types of street, race, or touring motorcycles. These are people who have developed a passion and enjoyed it for years and years. They're people who continue to cultivate their passion, ever advancing in their growth.

The truth is, I completely respect these people. They're generally quite social, self-reliant, able to be independent, yet well rounded professional adults. They tend to stand on their own two feet and are fervent about living their lives on their terms.

They come in all shapes, sizes, ages. All sorts of demographics. From closeted gay Republicans to arch-Liberal single females. That's a pretty broad spectrum once you realize that most of them are regular family folks. Our commonality is a love for something only we understand, each in our own way. Interestingly, we respect one anothers' individual perspectives.

And yet, despite our differences, we share a common ground. We have the ability to point at one another and say "I need your advice." or "I need your help with something." We give and take from one another, including sage and caring words of wisdom.

These things make us friends: Trust, respect, commonality. That's really how simple it is for us. I'm lucky to have these friends.... Very lucky.

Thankfully, we can all develop new friends. Extending a hand, a kind word, a bit of support, or sharing a concern can garner new growth and opportunity for everyone concerned.

Everyone wins.